Revaporizer



Jan. l1, 1938.

i L. J. WHITE REVAPORI ZER Filed Aug. 2e, 193e SMQ/who@ Patented Jan. l1, 1938 UNITED STATES REVAPORIZER Lord J. White, San Antonio, Tex., assigner to Southern Steel Company, a corporation of Texasv Application August 26, 1936, Serial No. 98,047,

This invention relates to liqueiled gas Systems for household use and, among other objects, aims to provide a more efllcient system by providing means to revaporize any gas which may have condensed after leavingy the storage tank and before it reaches the household gas appliances.

In the drawing: Y

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a ,liqueed gas system for household use;

t l@ Fig 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view gas system comprisingl a .storage tank ,in buried f iii the groundand from which vaporized-gas is delivered through an underground main or cong5' duit. herein shown as being composed o! lsub-- stantially horizontal andvertical pipes il and i2 leading to the various gas appliances within a house i3. The liquefied gas is stored under pressure in the tank id and is vaporized in the tank. w It is adapted to be delivered from the tank through a standpipev il, nipple i5, thence, downthrough the main il. The usual low pressure as relief valve i8 is-provided -on the low pressure side of the regulator i1 and both the valve i8 and regulator are connected lto a vent pipe i8. The abovef'controls are all clearly shown and described in the-aforesaid application.

Heretofore, it: has been the custom to provide vonly the pipes-i i and l2 leading into the house. However; it has been lfound that some of the ,vaporized'gas in pipe Il condenses, especially in cold-weather and in cold climates. VThe conu densate istrapped in the lowest part of the main and, when a valve of the gas appliance in the` house is opened, the vaporized gas from the tank bubbles through the trapped condensate, causing Va uctuation of the pressure at the appliance. 50 To overcome this objection, the present invention provides means to revaporize the condensate in the main by utilizing the heat of the earth.

Herein, the lowest point of the main is the juncture of the pipes il and I2` and at this point, 55 an ordinary T 20 is provided, so that the revaporizing unit may be connected thereto. The unit ls shown as comprising a vertically arranged pipe 2i screw threaded-'into the lower opening in the T and extending downwardly into the ground well below the'maximum frbst line. The lower 5 end; ofthet pipe 2i is closed and pointed as indicafed at 22so that it may be driven into the ground where the character of the soil permits. Any condensate forming in the pipes Il and i2 will, due to the inclination ofthe pipe i I. drain 10 into the pipe 2i where it will be revaporized by absorbing heat from the surrounding-earth.

To increase the heat exchanging surface of the pipe 2|, radial iins are secured to or formed on the, pipe, the fins preferably extending nearly the full lengthI of the pipe. The pipe i2 is shown as being surrounded with heat insulating` material 2l betweenthe ground level and the bottom of the house to protectthe pipe from freezing and to prevent recondensation of the gas at this e pumped out of the main. wardly through valve i6, a pressure reducing valve controlled by a pressure regulator I1, and

-It`ls to be noted that the low pressure reliefl valve i8 in connection with the pressure regulator lii relieves the house service main of any excess pressure which might develop as a result of revaporizing condensate'inthe heat exchanger -2i Y faster-'than the house appliances can consume revaporized gas. Y From the foregoing description.' it will be'seen .that'the emciency'of a liquened gas system has 40' been greatly increased by the addition of the re-' vaporizing unit. It is relatively simple and the cost of installation is very small.

Obviously, the present invention is' not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, lt is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly. since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and sub-combinations. What is claimed is: l

1. A lique'ed gas system of the class described comprising, in combination, 'a storage tank adapted to dispense vaporized gas; a service main for the vaporized gasconnectedV to and 55 the heat from the. earth.

2. A liquefied gas system of the class described comprising, in combination, a storage tank adapted to dispense vaporized gas; a service main for the vaporized gas connected to and leading from the tank; and a heat exchanger connected to the lowest point of the main and extending into the ground below the maximum frost line, said heat exchanger being closed at its lower end.

3. A liqueiled gas system of the class described comprising, in combination, `a. storage tank adapted to dispense vaporized gas; a service main for the vaporized gas connected to and leading from the tank; a heat exchanging pipe connected to the lowest point of the main and extending into the ground below the maximum frost line, said pipe being closed at its lower end; and radial ns on the pipe extending longitudinally thereof.

4. In a liquefied gas system of the class described, a storage tank; a service main connected to and adaptedto carry vaporized gas from the tank; a pipe T having a lateral branch connected to the end of the main remote from the tank and having'upper and lower branch openings; a, pipe connected to the lower opening and extending into the ground below the maximum frost line, said pipe being closed and pointed at its lower end; a second pipe extending upwardly from the upper branch of the T; a second pipe T having a lower opening connected to the upper end of the second pipe, said second T also having a lateral and an upper branch opening; a valved pipe connected to the lateral branch opening of the second T; and a clean-out pipe plug in the upper branch opening of the second T.

5. In a liqueed gas system of the class described, a storage tank; a service main connected to and adapted to carry vaporized gas from the tank; a pipe T having a lateral branch connected to the end of the main remote from the tank and having upper and lower branch openings; a pipe connected tothe lower opening and -extending into the ground below the maximum frost line, said pipe being closed and pointed at its lower end; and a second pipe extending upwardly from the upper branch of the T.

6. In a liqueed gas system of the class described, a storage tank; a service main connected to and adapted to carry vaporized gas from the tank; a pipe T having a lateral branch connected tothe end of the main remote from the tank and having upper and lower branch openings; a pipe connected to the lower opening and extending into the ground below the maximum frost line, said pipe being closed and pointed at its lower end; radial ns on the pipe and extending longitudinally thereof; and a second pipe connected to the upper branch of the T and leading upwardly therefrom.

7. In a liquefied gas system of the class described, a storage tank; a service main connected to and adapted to carry vaporized gas from the tank; a pipe T having a lateral branch connected to the end of the main remote from the tank and having upper and lower branch openings; a pipe connected to the lower opening and extending into the ground below the maximum frost line, said pipe being closed and pointed at its lower end; a second pipe extending upwardly from the upper branch of the T; a removable closure at the upper end of said second pipe; and a valved conduit connected to the second pipe near its upper end.

LOYD J. WHI'IE. 

